Abstract
DR. GALLOWAY directs attention to an important aspect of aviation in his reference to a recent accident. The type of failure—a spinning nose-dive—is unfortunately too common, and on any reasonable statistical basis may be expected to remain so until improved aeroplane design is achieved. Whilst rapid turning facilitates “spinning” the fundamental cause is peculiar to the aeroplane and a property of wing form and arrangement. The support for an aeroplane arises from the aerodynamic characteristics of the wings, and a fundamental change occurs when the angle of attack exceeds some 15 or 20 degrees. Above this critical angle the ordinary motion of an aeroplane is extremely unstable and the natural motion is a spin with the nose well down; the details of the instability are clear, but the remedy is unknown and only dimly foreseeable. The difficulty put before the pilot by the instability is accentuated by simultaneous loss or reversal of control. Scientific research is here required; it is, indeed, very urgently needed, but the prospects of obtaining the opportunity are far from good. Financial stringency and insufficient sympathy for research by the Air Ministry are the great difficulties, and not lack of scientific ability in the country. It is to be regretted that the loss of famous men is required to give point to a problem of long standing and that the Aeronautical Research Committee has not the necessaiy authority to carry out work which its reports show that it recognises as very important.
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BAIRSTOW, L. [Letters to Editor]. Nature 109, 612 (1922). https://doi.org/10.1038/109612c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/109612c0
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